Merkerson starred on the procedural drama for 17 seasons
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NEED TO KNOW
- S. Epatha Merkerson says Jerry Stiller was her favorite guest star on Law & Order due to his humor and kindness
- Merkerson reflects on her lengthy tenure, noting the show’s impact on TV and its unique filming style
- She remains close with former castmates like Jesse Martin and Ben Bratt, calling the cast a lasting family
S. Epatha Merkerson got to work with a lot of different actors on Law & Order, but one stood out to her due to his humor and kindness.
When talking with PEOPLE, Merkerson, 73, shares that her “most favorite” guest star was Jerry Stiller.
“Jerry Stiller was probably one of our favorites. I think he was on with me and Ben [Bratt] and Jerry [Orbach], but he was just such a nice guy. He was funny. He had great stories,” Merkerson shares.
Stiller, who died in 2020 at the age of 92, appeared on two episodes of Law & Order, one in 1993 and again in 1996. When thinking about other people Merkerson shared the screen with, she points out, “there were so many.”
“Some of them were young folks who literally I’ve seen grow up. They started out as child actors on our show. There were many because, at the time the original show was working, it was pretty much the only thing in town,” she says. “You’d go to the theater, and you’d look in a Playbill, and everybody had a Law & Order credit. And if they didn’t, you’d say, ‘Well, where the hell have they been?’ ”
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
Merkerson first appeared on Law & Order in 1991, then landed a permanent role from 1993 to 2010, playing Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Even after hanging up her fictional badge, people still recognize her for the role.
“I would be walking the streets, and I might pass some police officers, and they’d go, ‘Oh, hey, Lieu,’” she shares. “A lot of police officers watch the show. And to this day, I came out of the building one day, and there were some police officers, and one of them looked at me, and he went, ‘Well, it’s the Lieu. Hey, Lieu.’ I end up stopping and talking and taking pictures with them.”
While she notes that costar Orbach was “a good guy,” her “favorite combination” of costars to work with was Dennis Farina and Jesse Martin.
“That was my favorite combination. Every single one of them, for different reasons, were just really lovely to work with. The great thing is that I still stay in touch with the people,” Merkerson shares. “Jesse and I were very close. He’s like a little brother to me. And Ben and I stay in touch. I stay in touch with Jill [Hennessy]. That kind of family, you just don’t drop.”
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Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Looking back on her 17-season tenure on the show, Merkerson shares that “it’s kind of cool actually that I was on the show that long, and I loved it because it allowed me to stay at home, and I got to do theater on my breaks, on our hiatuses.”
“To be involved with something as the history of it and people watch the show. They see reruns over and over. It made a huge impact, and I believe it changed how we looked at television, even the way it was shot with the moving camera constantly moving,” Merkerson shares. “There were so many things that came from that show that are a part of how TV is made.”
She notes that the show’s lasting impact “says a lot about the writers on the show, the actors that came through, the producers who believed in the show and worked hard on it.”
“It was a phenomenon, really, and to have been a part of that has really been an honor for me,” Merkerson reflects.
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